" She spoke so steadfastly, so
loyally, that he was strongly moved. He thrust his arm boyishly round
her.
"All right, dear old girl, I trust you," he said. "I'll tell you all
about it. As I see you have guessed, there is a bit of a scrape; but it
will be all right in two or three weeks. I've been a fool, and got into
debt again. Baring helped me out once. That's partly why I'm so
particularly anxious that he shouldn't get wind of it this time. Fact
is, I'm very much in Hyde's power for the time being. But, as I say, it
will be all right before long. I've promised to ride his Waler for the
Ghantala Valley Cup next month. It's a pretty safe thing, and if I pull
it off, as I intend to do, everything will be cleared, and I shall be
out of his hands. It's a sort of debt of honour, you see. I can't get
out of it, but I shall be jolly glad when it's over. We'll chuck him
then, if he isn't civil. But till then I'm more or less helpless. So
you'll do your best to tolerate him for my sake, won't you?"
A great sigh rose from Hope's heart, but she stifled it. Hyde's attitude
of insolent power was explained to her, and she would have given all she
had at that moment to have been free to seek Baring's advice.
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